My husband and I did a sunset hike on Mt. Lowe this past Sunday. We drove up to Eaton Saddle, followed the Mt. Lowe Fire Road through the Mueller Tunnel to Markham Saddle and then picked up the trail to the Mt. Lowe summit. I really like this area a lot. There’s never very many people and you get some great views of the rugged San Gabriels. The hike to the summit is a short one, but it was perfect for a day when we didn’t have time to do a long hike. The views are pretty great too. As the sun began to sink behind the Santa Monica Mountains to the west, we started to make our way back down the mountain. We reached Markham Saddle just 10 minutes before the sunset then stopped to enjoy the show as the light faded from orange, to pink and finally inky black. It was a little spooky coming back through the Mueller Tunnel in the dark, but the city below us lit up in a romantic, sparkling glow of lights. It was a great way to wrap up the weekend!
It was a little after 4:30 pm when we started up the Mt. Lowe Fire Road.
This area is so photogenic. I always love taking pictures here. So much drama!
Looking over at the daunting Mt. Markham.
The Mueller Tunnel.
Passing through.
On the opposite side of the tunnel, we were greeted by cheerful yellow wildflowers.
We reached Markham Saddle where you can pick and choose your hike on several different trails. Tonight’s destination was Mt. Lowe.
My husband heading up through some burned trees from the 2009 Station Fire.
Wonderful views.
Rugged and rocky.
We reached the saddle between Mt. Markham and Mt. Lowe. This photo is looking back at the trail to hike up to Mt. Markham on the far right. Mt. Disappointment is on the far left in the distance and San Gabriel Peak in the middle.
We continued on the trail to the summit of Mt. Lowe.
Just before we reached the summit we passed through what I like to call the “enchanted portal”.
When we arrived at the summit of Mt. Lowe, the first thing I noticed were the ginormous rock cairns someone put here. There were also rope cords hanging from the metal structure. I suppose they were left over from a swing someone tried to hang a while back. Glad to see it was taken down. It really didn’t belong here. I also noticed remnants of someone’s illegal fire. I wish people would be more respectful of the Leave No Trace rule.
The viewing tubes.
Great views in all directions.
Looking towards Mt. Wilson.
My husband taking a look through one of the viewing tubes.
An old hitching post.
An interpretative sign to give you a little background about the mountain top you’re standing on.
Looking towards our sprawling city.
The sun was getting lower in the sky.
Looking down at DTLA.
My camera didn’t zoom far enough to get a clear shot, but if you look closely, you can see inspiration point which is also a very nice hike.
A close up of Mt. Muir and the One Man One Mule Trail. Mt. Muir is a lovely peak. Most likely if you climb this one you’ll have it all to your self because most people are enjoying the views from Inspiration Point.
The light was starting to get dramatic.
Sunset on San Gabriel Peak.
Looking towards Mt. Disappointment.
Close up of Mt. Disappointment.
Looking down at the Mt. Lowe Fire Road. We hiked this not too long ago all the way to Mt. Lowe Trail Camp, Inspiration Point and Mt. Muir. It’s a very nice hike with great views.
Enjoying the light and the views while making our way back.
Clouds began building around Mt. Markham on the right and the Mt. Lowe Fire Road below.
We stopped at Markham Saddle to watch the sunset.
It never gets old.
Almost gone.
As we head back toward the Mueller Tunnel, the light begins to fade.
The Mueller Tunnel looked a bit foreboding after the sun had set.
Lights began to twinkle on the big city below. What a lovely evening!
